450 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
.Tune^l,  189P. 
Phaius  Phcebe. 
This  is  one  of  tl.o  handsomest  hybrid  Phains  tint  has  ret  horn 
exhibited,  and  it  was  immensely  admired  at  the  Drill  Hall  on  l\Iay  Kith, 
when  it  was  shown  by  Mr,  W.  Murray,  {gardener  to  Aormaii  C.  Conkson, 
Esq  ,  AVylam-on-Tyne,  and  received  a  lirst-class  certificate.  As  may  be 
seen  in  the  illustration  (tig.  97,  page  445),  the  flower  is  superb,  and 
merits  the  encomiums  showered  upon  it.  It  is  a  hybrid  that  resulted 
from  a  cross  between  Phaius  Sanderianus  and  P.  Ilumbloti.  The 
sepals  and  jietals  are  a  curious  shade  of  ciun.amon  yellow  with  rose 
shading  to  white  at  the  n  argins.  The  magnificent  spreading  lip  is 
rose  with  deeper  veins  and  a  fringed  margin.  The  throat  is  bright 
yellow  aud  crimson,  these  hues  extending  to  the  side  lobes.  In  form  it 
somewhat  lesembles  P.  Cook.soniae,  which,  it  will  be  remembered 
was  shown  before  the  Koval  Horticultural  b^ociety  in  1695,  and  was 
figured  in  the  Journal  of  llorticulture  for  June  13tt',  1895,  page  513. 
.  Odoxtoglossum  Coeadixei  mirabile. 
It  is  probable  that  this  Orchid  secured  as  much  attention  as  any 
in  the  Drill  Hall  on  the  IGth  ult.,  as  it  was  of  such  exceptional  quality. 
It  is  probable  that  a  finer  furm  of  Coradinei  has  never  been  shown, 
anil  the  first  class  certificate  recommended  by  the  Orchid  Committee 
was  thoroughly  deserved.  The  flower  is  singularly  beautiful  and  of 
exceptional  substance.  The  broad,  slightly  fringed,  petals  have  a 
large  central  blotch  of  light  chocolate,  with  one  or  two  spots  of  similar 
colour  on  the  glistening  white  ground.  In  the  lip  and  sepals  the 
chocolate  colouratioti  txteinis  over  almost  ihs  whole  surface.  Tie 
woodcut  (tig.  98,  J'age  447)  represents  the  natural  .size  of  one  of  the 
flowers  on  the  sjiibe.  The  plant  came  from  Mr.  II.  Ballaniine, 
gardener  to  Baron  Fchrdder,  The  Dell,  Egham,  and  is  woithy  the  best 
traditions  of  that  famous  collection. 
Orchid  Sale  at  Tyxteseield. 
!  The  duplicate  plants  in  Mr.  F.  Hardys  splendid  collection  at 
Tyntesfield  were  recently  ])ut  uj)  for  auction  by  Messrs.  Protheroe  and 
I\[orii.«,  and,  needless  to  say,  attracted  a  large  number  of  enthusiastic 
Orchid  growers.  'J  here  were  upwards  of  700  lots  for  disposal,  and 
two  days  were  allotted  to  the  sale.  Amongst  the  principal  buyers 
were  Messrs.  J.  Veitch  dv  Sons,  Ltd.,  II.  Low  &  Co.,  F.  Sander  &  Co., 
Traceyq  and  A.  Outram.  Some  of  the  plants  for  which  the  colkction 
is  renowned  fetched  good  prices,  such  as  Sobralia  Keinastiana, 
if  guineas ;  Cattleya  Bowringiana,  15  guineas;  Cypripedium  Fred 
Hardy,  50  guineas ;  Lmlia  pnrpurata  Hardyana,  18  guineas ;  Laelio- 
Cattleya  Arnoldiana  su[)crba,  12  guine-as;  Laelia  anceps  Ame.s'm, 
14  guineas  ;  Cypripedium  insigne  Sauderae,  30  guineas ;  Cypripedium 
James  11.  A'eitch,  50  guineas  and  80  guineas  ;  Lselio-Cattleya  eximia, 
IG  guineas:  Lselio-Cattleya  Pallas  .superba,  40  guineas;  Cattleya 
iMendeli,  Quorn  House  variety,  45  guineas  ;  Cattleya  Mossiae 
Wagneri,  20  guineas  ;  Lselio-Cattleya  Bella,  44  guineas ;  with  Cypri- 
jtedium  callosum  Sanderte  (fig.  99)  at  the  top  of  the  tree,  with 
130  guineas.  There  were  many  others  with  proportionate  prices,  but 
these  will  bo  sufficient  indication  of  the  rates  that  prevailed. 
L.ELIOrSig  DOMIXGENSIS. 
This  species  is  not  at  all  well  known,  but  if  sufficient  plants  of  it 
were  forthcoming,  it  would  probably  be  grown  to  fill  the  blank 
after  the  Lselia  anceps  varieties  are  over.  In  habit  it  is  very  like  some 
of  the  Mexican  Lsehas,  and  is  nearly  related  to  them  botanically.  The 
flowers  occur  on  slender  scapes  a  foot  or  so  in  length,  and  arc,  for  the 
most  part,  a  pretty  rosy  mauve  or  jiurple.  It  likes  rather  more  heat 
than  the  jilams  named  above,  thriving  be.st  in  will-drained  baskets  or 
])ans  in  the  lightest  and  warmest  part  of  the  Cattleya  house.  During 
the  erowing  season  abundant  moisture  is  needed,  but  much  less  when 
a;  rest.  ' 
L.elia  majalis. 
This  is  a  most  beautiful  plant  when  well  grown  and  flowered, 
but  it  is  the  exception  rather  than  the  rule  to  see  really  good  jilants 
of  it.  Some  growers  comi)lain  that  while  the  plants  grow  Ireely 
enough  no  flowers  arc  produced,  but  this  is  the  fault  of  the  cultivator, 
as  if  piopcrly  treated  no  difficulty  will  be  found  to  get  it  to  flower 
annually.  In  my  own  case  the  difficulty  is  that  it  flowers  so  strongly 
that  the  bulbs  get  smaller  every  season  alter  a  few  years,  and 
evinlually  the  plant  flowers  itself  to  death. 
After  the  new  pseudo-bulbs  aie  complete  soon  after  midsummer 
the  p'ant  must  be  taken  to  the  open  air  for  a  couple  of  months  to 
thoroughly  consolidate  and  ripen  them,  and  no  trouble  will'then  bo 
found  in  getting  plenty  of  flowers.  All  through  the  growing  season 
keep  the  plants  well  up  to  the  light  in  the  Cattleya  or  the  Mexican 
house,  and  allow  plenty  of  water  when  new  roots  are  being  produced-. 
Every  young  lead  will  then  have  its  flower  spike,  and  as  the  blossoms 
in  a  good  fbim  are  nearly  G  inches  across, bright  rosy  mauve,  the  efl'ci  t 
on  a  dwarf  ]Iinit  like  this  is  very  fine.  Cccdsionally  twin-flowered 
spikes  01  cur,  but  they  are  the  ixception.  L.  majalis  is  a  native  of 
Mexico,  and  though  one  of  the  first  Orchids  known  to  science,  was 
not  intridnced  to  this  country  till  lb39.  _ _ 
OXCIDIUM  Brdxleesiaxum. 
There  is  no  doubt  this  pretty  species  is  extremely  rare  in  its  native 
country',  for  in  such  a  well  hunted  locality  as  that  around  llio  de 
Jam  iro  it  could  not  long  escape  collectors,  yet  only  few  plants  off 
it  have  been  sent  home  sino  1879,  when  the  gentleman  alter  whom  it 
is  named,  l\Ir,  J.  Brunli e.«,  of  Westminster,  sent  a  piece  of  it  to  Professor 
Keichenbach  lor  identification.  It  is  a  curiums  and  handsome  plant, 
and  very  seldom  seen  in  good  condition ;  indeed,  it  is  not  o:ten  seen 
at  all. 
The  flowers  are  small  individually,  and  occur  upon  blanching 
paniculate  racemes.  The  sepals  and  petals  bend  forwaid  almost  hood- 
Iike  over  the  lip,  the  side  lobes  of  which  in  their  turn  euvelop  the 
column,  and  the  front  lobe  is  bright  rich  maroon,  quite  an  out-of-the- 
comnion  disposition  of  colour  in  this  genus.  Tiie  outer  segments  are 
lightly  marked  with  transverse  bars  of  red.  There  are  often  dull 
reddish  markings  upon  the  flower  peduncles,  and  the  branchlets  occur 
in  a  distichous  manner.  It  is  described  rather  in  detail,  as  some 
of  our  readers  may  pos.sess  a  plant  of  it,  in  which  c.iso  we  should  be 
glad  to  see  flowers.  Weak  plants  would  not,  of  course,  produce  largjj 
spikes. 
OXCIDIUM  UNGDICULATUM. 
As  a  showy  kind  this  cannot  compete  wAh  the  nearly  allied 
0.  ligrinum,  but  it  is  a  pretty  and  inteiesting  plant  none  the  less. 
Instead  of  the  lip  being  spreading  quite  from  the  base,  as  in  the  latter, 
this  organ  has  a  long  curved  claw  which  gives  the  fluwer.s  a  lighter, 
though  less  substantitil,  appearance.  It  is  one  of  the  best  growers,  and 
thrives  w’ell  in  rather  small  pans  or  pots  ;  if  susi  ended  from  the  roof 
all  the  better.  A  native  of  Mexico,  the  plants  will  thrive  in  a  cooi 
house,  and  should  be  well  watered  when  in  active  giowtn. —  H.  K.  R. 
